Tate sat at his desk, staring at the dimly illuminated computer screen that was flickering in front of him. He was supposed to be finishing off some work, but he really couldn't be bothered. Everyone else had gone home long ago, leaving the building totally empty. Empty, of course, all except for Tate.

He didn't particularly mind staying back late. After all, it was still much better than having to go home to his empty apartment, nothing and no one awaiting him except for a microwave dinner in the freezer. Leaning back in his chair he gave a little sigh, stretching his hands behind his head and staring up at the ceiling. He missed Alima and Rassia. His next visit wasn't until next week, and Tate doubted that his wife would like him turning up unannounced to her house. No, he corrected himself. Their house. They were still married, still loved each other, still were a family. They just didn't live under the same roof anymore...

Lost in his own thoughts, he didn't hear the doors of the lift down the hall open with a 'ping', signaling the arrival of someone onto the floor. He didn't hear the vacuum cleaner as it started, nor did he hear the sound of New Order being pumped through speakers, coming out tinny and distorted. He didn't actually notice the cleaner until he heard her exclamation of suprise when she saw him in his cubicle. Spinning around in his chair to face the woman, who had her hand pressed over her chest and a suprised look on her face, Tate felt his heart beating almost unbearably fast. He hadn't expected to see anyone else here tonight, and the woman had suprised him.

As she flipped off her music, muttering apologies, Tate looked at her. She must've been a Uni student - bright pink hair, clothes that were about ten years out of date, peirced nose and eyebrow. She reminded him of his sister, Katherine, back in the eighties. A smile pulled at the corner of his lips and he shook his head at the girl, who was now saying something along the lines of, "I really didn't mean to bother you, Sir. If I'd known you were up here I never would've been so loud. I'll go now, Sir, and come back later, after you're gone."

She moved away, tugging the vacuum cleaner along behind her, all before Tate even had the chance to say a word. Suddenly he spun back to his desk, yanking open the drawer and pulling out a bottle of bourbon. He jumped out from his chair, poking his head around the wall of his cubicle, all too aware of his disheveled look - messy hair, an untucked and creased white shirt, no shoes - but still wondering whether...

"Would you like to have a drink?"

And here, have an eight year old Nicholas in his footie-pajamas who's too big for the screen...